Good Health Allows Badlands Success
by Jim Bainbridge | Oct 07, 2016
By Ruth Nicolaus/for the RAM Badlands Circuit Finals Rodeo committee
MINOT, N.D. – Ty Breuer has kept his fingers crossed all year.
The Mandan, N.D. bareback rider has been able to stay injury-free this year, minus some separated ribs, which has enabled him to accomplish several goals: qualify for his second Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, be the regular season bareback leader in the Badlands Circuit, and win the first round of the RAM Badlands Circuit Finals Rodeo in Minot, N.D.
His ride aboard Sutton Rodeo’s Yankee Rose for 84 points, during the Oct. 6 performance at the N.D. State Fair Center, was good enough to win the round by a half-point over his younger brother, Casey.
It hasn’t been an easy year of rodeo for the 26-year-old cowboy. “I’ve never had to rodeo as hard as I did this year, to make the (Wrangler National) Finals,” he said. “I’m not sure why. I’d get on a hot streak, and then I’d lose it.”
However, he’s stayed away from major injury this year, which is the first time that’s happened since 2013, the first year he made the WNFR. That year, in the third round, he broke his elbow, but continued to ride with it for the next seven nights. He had surgery on it after the WNFR, sat out some of the 2014 season due to the injury and just missed a return to Vegas, finishing 18th in the world standings.
Then, the next year, a horse flipped over on him in the chutes at the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo in Denver, breaking his back and taking him out of action for a significant chunk of the 2015 season; a late-season charge – including a win at the Pendleton (Ore.) Round-Up – allowed him to finish 21st in the world.
This year, Breuer’s worst injury has been separated ribs, suffered at the Mitchell, S.D., rodeo in July. He planned on taking time off for the injury to heal, but “I ended up drawing real good, so I just kept going. I guess I was really lucky to be able to rodeo all year.”
His luck wasn’t limited to the national scene; he made sure to compete in enough Badlands Circuit rodeos to qualify for this weekend’s Circuit Finals, and Thursday’s win earned him a check for $1,730, to lead the circuit with a total earnings of $16,155, a lead of nearly $3,000 over the number two man, Jordan Pelton, who got bucked off.
Before Breuer heads to Las Vegas for the Wrangler NFR, he’ll head to the altar later this month to marry Kelli Nutter. Wedding preparations are well underway, with Kelli doing most of them. “I’m pretty lucky,” he said. “She’s been doing all the planning.”
Steer wrestler Cameron Morman won the first round of the Circuit Finals with a 3.8-second time he made on a steer he’d run in Bowman, N.D., last weekend. “He’s the best one in the herd, and I messed him up in Bowman, so when I drew him for tonight, I was pretty excited for the rematch.”
Morman, who is 23 years old, is riding fellow steer wrestler Chason Floyd’s horse Tiger. The 2015 Badlands champ rode Jason Reiss’ horse last year, but after the horse was sold Morman had to make alternative arrangements. Floyd, from Buffalo, Wyo., offered to let Morman ride Tiger the beginning of July, and since then, Tiger has been his mount. “He’s a really nice horse. He scores sharp, runs a real tight pattern, and lets it be easy to catch cattle and win on. He has a lot of heart to him.”
Morman will graduate from Dickinson State University this December with a degree in university studies, then he plans on rodeoing full time. “I’ll jump in with Chason and rodeo.” Floyd hazed for Morman during his winning run.
Other first go-round winners were team ropers Logan Olson, Flandreau, S.D. and Jordan Olson, Surprise, Ariz. (4.6 seconds), who also won the first round at last year’s Badlands Circuit Finals; and saddle bronc rider Dawson Jandreau, Kennebec, S.D. (82 points), whose father, Marty, qualified for the National Finals Rodeo in 1985 in the same event.
Tie-down roper Jon Peek, Berthold, N.D., won the first round (8.5 seconds). Peek is the brother of Josh Peek, also a tie-down roper and steer wrestler. Fonda Galbreath, Oakes, N.D., won the barrel racing with a time of 14.16 seconds and Ardie Maier, Timber Lake, S.D., won the bull riding (82 points). Maier was one of four bull riders to make qualified rides.
The second, third and fourth rounds of the Circuit Finals continue Oct. 7-9. Tomorrow night’s rodeo is the annual Tough Enough to Wear Pink performance, with monies raised going to benefit cancer patients through the Trinity Health Exercise Rehab Program in Minot. Over the past 10 years, more than $576,000 has been raised. For more information on the rodeo, visit MinotYsMensRodeo.com. For full results from this night’s rodeo, visit www.ProRodeo.com.
Courtesy of PRCA